Gun charging mechanism



Dec. 3, 1946.. w, E, NAUGLER 2,411,934

GUN CHARGING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 InventorWalter E Naug/er fies. 3, 1946. w. E. NAUGLER" 2,411,934

' I I GUN CHAR IN MECVH'ANISM'V I Filed Dec. 23, m4: 1. 2 s uts-sheet 2-fmmmim Walter ENaUg/er y torney Patented Dec. 3, 1946 GUN CHARGINGMECHANISM Walter E. Naugler, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United ShoeMachinery Corporation, Fleming- 'ton, N. J., a corporation of New JerseyApplication December 23, 1943, Serial No. 515,447

16 Claims.

operations at the breech mechanism, which prepare for the succeedingdischarge, If for any reason this recoil does not occur, the action ofthe gun is arrested until a movement corresponding to that of recoil hasbeen produced. This may be manually, with the expenditure of much timeand effort on the part of the gunner, or automatically,

by the application of power from a source external to the gun. It is anobject of my invention 'to obtain the charging efiect by simplemechanism' which adds few parts and little weightto the gun, yet actspromptly and positively when recoil is absent. In the attainment of thisobject,';I combine witha gun having a breech-bolt movable in recoil andcounter-recoil, a motor, a movable charging member, as a reciprocatoryrackacting upon the breech-bolt to produceits movement in the directionof recoil, and means,

preferably a clutch, for connecting the motor to the member to cause thecharging movement'of the breech-bolt, together with means for renderingthe connecting means effective, as by preparing the clutch forengagement during each counter-recoil-movement of the breech-bolt, so,if it is necessary, the power of the motor may be applied to thecharging member. If the recoilmovement occurs in the normal operation ofthe I gun, the connecting means is rendered inefiective, the engagementof the clutch being prevented. Means is provided whereby, if thecharging member is set in operation by the connecting means, saidconnecting means is disengaged at the termi nation of the chargingmovement. More specifically, I employ a motor, which may be mounted uponthe gun, said motor being geared through an interposed clutch to areciprocatory rack acting upon the breech-bolt. A lever, fulcrumed uponthe gun, has an arm acting upon the clutch, another arm acted upon bymeans to engage the clutch, and a third arm acted upon by means tocontrol said clutch, as by freeing it in preparation for engagement inabsence of normal recoil or by looking it against engagement if recoiloccurs. This controlling means preferably consists of a cam-lever,carried by the charging rack and actuated by the breech-bolt. The thirdarm of the lever may also serve to cause the disengagement of the clutchat the termination of the charging movement, it being acted upon by aslide movable upon the gun under the influence of the rack.

In the accompanying drawings is shown a ma- 2 chine-gun to which aparticular embodiment of my invention is applied,

Fig. 1 illustrating the breech-casing of the gun with my improvedcharging mechanism in side elevation;

Fig, 2 being a top plan view of said mechanism and the rear portion ofthe gun-casing;

Fig. 3, an enlarged perspective view taken from the rear of Fig. 2, thisbeing of the charging mechanism separated from the gun; and

Fig. 4, an enlarged, irregular horizontal section, taken generally onthe line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

At 10 appears the breech-casing of a machinegun of the Browning type,from the forward extremity of which casing extends the barrel l2. Anopening in one side of the casing, here shown as the right, is closed bya removable cover-plate M, in which is'a longitudinal slot l6. Throughthis slot projects a stud Hi from the breech-bolt 2i], guided toreciprocate within the casing. As is usual in this gun, energization ofthe firing solenoid 22 mounted upon the opposite side of the casingcauses th discharge of a cartridge, which the breech-bolt under theinfluence of its counter-recoil-spring has inserted in the barrel from aseries assembled in a belt. One of these cartridges appears at C in Fig.l. The recoil of the breech-bolt produced by the discharge causes theejection of the empty cartridge-case and the delivery of the succeedingcartridge from the belt into position for introduction into the barrelby the breech-bolt during the counter-recoil. .As long as the circuit ofthe firing solenoid is maintained closed, this feed of cartridges fromthe belt and their discharge will normally be maintained. If, however,this normal action is interrupted, as because of the failure of acartridge to explode, it will be necessary to charge the gun byimparting to the breech-bolt its recoil-movement by a force applied tothe stud l8. This force, which must compress the counter-recoil-spring,is considerable, making it difiicult to perform manually and consumingconsiderable time.

-During the closure of the circuit of the firing solenoid, my inventionefiects the charging of the gun automatically whenever the breech-boltfails to receive its movement of recoil.

Guided in ways in the inner face of the coverplate M, for reciprocationlongitudinally of the gun, is a slide 30 to which is attached a chargadepression in the slide to hold the rack releasably in its forwardinactive position (Fig. 1). To move the rack rearwardly, and by itsengagement with the stud impart to the breechbolt its travelcorresponding to that of normal recoil, there is mounted upon a bracket35 secured to.the cover-plate a small electric motor 35, the rotation ofits armature being communicated through reduction-gearing contained in acasing 38 to a pinion 40. This pinion meshes with a gear 42 upon a shaft44 journaled in the casing, and a pinion 48 upon the shaft 44 mesheswith a gear 48 turning about a spindle 50 extending between an extensionfrom the casing 38 and the cover-plate of the gun. Rotatable about theinner end of the spindle is a pinion 52, meshing with the teeth of therack 32. The rotation of the gear 48 may be communicated to the pinion.52 through a clutch-sleeve 53, rotatable with the gear and movablelongitudinally of the spindle; At its inner extremity, the sleeve hasteeth 54, adapted to enter between the ends of the teeth of the pinion52 to effect its rotation. The sleeve is connected to the gear with acapacity for lost motion. From the interior of the gear, a projection 58lies between projections :58 and 80' from the sleeve (Fig. 3). Atensionspring 82,,joinin'g the gear to the sleeve, normally ,holdsthesleeve-projection 58 against the gearprojection. When the sleeve in itsoutward position is disconnected from the pinion 52, it rotates idlywith the gear 48. Upon connection .of the: sleeve to the pinion by theteeth 54, the gear-projection first leaves the sleeve-projection :58;the spring 62 yielding and the pinion remain- ;ing. at rest. -Thiscontinues until the gearproje'ction engages the sleeve-projection 60,:whereupon the sleeve and pinion begin to rotate, this continuing untilthe sleeve-teeth are dis- :engaged' from the pinion by outward movementoi the sleeve. r

' To shift the clutch-sleeve 53to produce move- .rment" of the rackrearwardly. of the gun, with the slide 30 in contact with the stud I8 ofthe breech-bolt, or to free said rack from the driving means for returnto its normal position by the bree'ch-bolt-stud, a lever L is provided.This Iev'er is fulcrumed by a vertical spindle in a bracket II upon thecover-plate, and has three arms 12, i4- and 18. The upper arm I2 isyoked to enter opposite sides of a circumferential groove in. the sleeve53 to shift this. The lower arm '14, to cause the movement of the arm I2and the sleeve, is actuated by the plunger 78 of a solenoid .80 mountedupon the cover-plate I4. When energized; the solenoid imparts totheplunger movement of. a definite extent, this being com- .municated tothe lever L through a compressionspring 82interposed between a washer.84, held in'place upon the outer extremity of the plunger, and a washer86 abutting against the outer side of the arm 14. 'A flange 88 upon theplunger, against which the spring urges the arm 74, determines thenormal position of the arm along the plunger and the correspondingposition of the clutch-sleeve.- To permit adjustment of this normalrelation between the sleeve-teeth 54 and the pinion 52, the spring 82,washers 84 and 86, and flange 88 may be carried by a plungerextension80. This extension is threaded into the end of theplunger-proper andretained in its-adjusted position by a check-nut 92. As the extension isadjusted in or out, the clutch-teeth -54 are correspondingly movedtoward or from .the end of the pinion 52. After energization ,ofthesolenoid, its plunger is restored to its inritial position by anexpansion-spring 94, interposed between the inner end of the Plungerand:

the interior of the solenoid-casing.

The clutch-solenoid is energized simultaneously with the motor 36 andthe firing solenoid 22, so that, as long as theftrigger ofthe gun isactuated, the lever-arm 12 will tend to hold the clutch 54, 52 engagedfor the production of the charging. movement of the rack 32. This,however, should occur only in absence of normal recoil. To prevent theengagement of the clutch when such recoil occurs, the rack has fulcrumedat 98 upon its rear extremity a cam-lever 98. A forwardly extending armI00 of the lever has at its outer side a cam-surface I02, which, uponupward movement of the arm, may be forced against a complementallyinclined surface I04 upon the underside of the arm I6 of lever L. This.holds the lever-arm I2 in its outward posi- .tion, locking the clutchtemporarily against engagement. At the opposite side of the fulcrum 88,the lever 88 has a cam-slot I88 opening through its end. The throat ofthis slot is in the path of the stud 18, so that, upon each'counter-recoil-movement of the breech-bolt, the stud enters the slot.The inner or forward extermity of the slot lies somewhat beyond theendsurface H8 of the slide, so it is this surface which furnishesoperating engagement with the breech-bolt-stud. From its outer opening,the slot 108 curves-downwardly and inwardly,v the effectbeing that, whenthe stud enters the slot, it rocks the lever 88 in a clockwise direction(Fig. 1) by contact with the upper surface II2 of the slot. This unlocksthe clutch by removing the arm I80 of the cam-lever 98 from contact withthe lever-arm I8, permitting engagement of the clutch and the consequentcharging movement of the rack 32. Whenthe stud I8 emerges from theslotI88, itbears against a lower surface II4-of said slot to turn thecamlever counterclockwise, and thereby engage the lever-arm I8 to. lockthe clutch open. In its clutch-locking relation, the cam-lever islatched by a spring-plunger H6, movable through the end of the rack andentering a depressionIIB in the lever.

If the energization of the solenoid 80 causes the forward chargingmovement of the rack 32 by engagement of the clutch, this must bedisengaged whensaid rack has completed such movein'ent.For'this'purpo'se a slide I28'is guided in ways !22' at the inner sideof the bracket lI. From the outer face of this slide are two projectionsI24 and I28, the former of which is movable along a depression at theinner side of the lever-arm '16 to occupy either an inactive position,as appears in Fig. 4, or forced against an inclined surface I28 upon thelever-arm. In the first of these positions, the slide is latched byengagement of a spring-plunger I30, movable in the bracket 1 I, with therear side of the slide-projection I26, while the active position istemporarily maintained by the engagement of the plunger with theopposite side of this projection. Into vitsclutch-disengaging relation,the slide is urged by contact with a surface I32 uponit of a projectionI34 from the forward end of the rack. A projection 36 from theoppositeextremity of the rack strikes against a surface I38 upon the slide torelease the lever-arm T8 and permit clutch-engagement.

Considering the gun is ready for firing, the breech-bolt-stud I8 isforward in its counter-recoil position at the end'of the slot I88 in thecamlever 88, as appears in Figs. 1 and 3. This stud, gin seatingitselfin the slot after the passage through the throat, has by contact withthe surface H2 withdrawn the cam-surface I02 of the'-arm-'-I06-from-engagement with-the surface I64 'ofthe arm-'15, leavingthe clutch lever L free for control by the solenoid 86. The projectionI36 of the rack has moved the slide I26 to the right -(Fig. 4), where itis latched by the plunger I36 engaging the rear side of the projectionI26. The slide-projection lfl is opposite the depression intheclutch-lever arm 16,-so actuation of the 'clutch-lever'by thesolenoid is not interfered with. The gunner presses the trigger of thegun, completing not'only the circuit of the firing solenoid 22, but alsothat of the motor 36 and the 'clutch solenoidflll'. If an explosionoccurs normally, the recoil drives the bolt-stud back, to the rear ofthe slot I6 in the cover-plate I4. As the stud'first travels in thecam-slot I08, the energization of the solenoid 80 may cause theengagement of the clutch 54, 52, but the travel of the gear-projection56 away from the sleeve-projec- 'tion 58, where it is held'yieldably bythe spring 62-, to 'the projection 60 prevents transmission of power'tothe rack 32 during this brief interval. Before the lost motion has beentaken up, the

stud will have reached the throat of the camslot, striking the surfaceH4 and raising the arm I06 of the cam-lever. The lever-surface H32engages the clutch-lever-surface I64, and locks the clutch open andineffective, so the rack 32 remains at rest; The cam-lever is latchedinthis relation by the plunger H5. The breech-bolt is "returned by thecounter-recoil-spring to complete the'normal firing cycle, restoring theelements to the positions of Fig. 1.

If the cartridge had not exploded, so there would havebeen no recoil'ofthe breech-bolt, the energization ofthe motor 36 and solenoid 39 withthe firing solenoid 22 would occur as before. Since the arm I60 of thecam-lever has'freed the clutch lever L to prepare for clutch-engagement,as above pointed out, the solenoid 80 may now operate the clutch-leverto shift the clutch-sleeve 153 into driving contact with the pinion 52;The

I20, and forces the projection I24 against the clutch-lever-surface I28,turning such lever to disengage the clutch and terminate the charging'movement.

The counter-recoil of the breechbolt, throughcontact of the stud withthe surface .2 H8, restores the elements to their initial posi- 'tions,as previously indicated. The gun may now take up its regular operation,or, if it fails to fire, the action of the charging mechanism will berepeated automatically,

1 Having. described my invention, what I claim as j new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

H 1. The combination with a gun having a breech-bolt movable in recoiland counter-recoil,

of a motor, amovable charging member acting upon the'breech-bolt toproduce its movement in the direction of recoil, means for connectingthe motor to the member to cause the charging movement of thebreech-bolt, said connecting means being normally ineffective to producesuch move- '6 ment, and'means controlled by the breech-bolt forrendering the connecting means efiective;

2. The combination with a... gun having: a breech-bolt movable in recoiland counter-recoil, of a motor, a movable charging member acting uponthe breech-bolt to produce its movement in the direction of recoil,means for connecting the motor to the member to cause thecharging'movement of the breech-bolt, said connectingmeans beingcap-able of being effective or ineifective' to cause such movement, andmeans movableby the breech-bolt for rendering the connecting meanseffective during a portion of each counter recoilmovement of thebreech-bolt and for rendering the connecting means ineffective if therecoilmovement of the breech-bolt occurs. 7

' '3. The combination with a gun having a breech-bolt movable in recoiland counter-recoil, of a motor mounted on the gun and rotatingcontinuously during the operating period of the gun, a movable chargingmember acting upon" the breech-bolt to produce its movement in thedirection of recoil, means connectingthe motor to the member including aclutch having elements constructed and arranged for engagement with eachother in the performance of their function of. transmitting power fromthe motor :to the member to cause the charging movement of thebreech-bolt, and means movable b'y thebreechbolt for preparing theclutch for engagement. e. The combination with a'gun havingaireciprocatory breech-bolt movable in recoil and counter-recoil, of amotor mounted on'the gun and rotating continuously duringthe operatingperiod of the gun, a movable charging member acting upon the breech-boltto produce its movement in the direction of recoil, means connecting themotor to the member including a clutch having elements constructed andarr'angedfor engagement with each other in the performance of theirfunction of transmitting power from the motor to the member to cause thecharging movement of the breech-bolt, and means actuated'b'y thebreech-bolt upon each counter-recoil mover ment for preparing thelclutchfor engagement and for preventing engagement of the clutch if therecoil-movement of the breech-bolt occurs.

5. The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-bolt movablein recoil and 50 counter-recoil, of a motor mounted on the gun, amovable charging member acting upon the breech-bolt to produce itsmovement in the'direction of a recoil, means for connecting the motor tothe member to cause the charging movement 55 of the breech-bolt, saidconnecting means being capable of being effective or ineffectiveto'cause such movement, and means having a portion carried by thecharging member and actuated by the breech-bolt for rendering theconnecting 0 means effective upon each counter-recoil-movement of thebreech-bolt and for rendering the connecting means ineffective'if therecoil-movement of thebreech-bolt occurs. I

6. The"combination with a gun having a re- 65 ciprocatory breech-boltmovable in recoil and counter-recoil, of a motor mounted on the gun androtating continuously during the operating period of the gun, a movablecharging member acting upon the breech-bolt to produce its move- 70 mentin the direction of recoil, means connecting the motor to the memberincluding a clutch having elements constructed andarranged forengagement with each other in the performance of their function oftransmitting power from the 75 motor to the member to cause the chargingmovement'of the breech-bolt and for disengagement from each other tostop thecharging movement, means for preparing the clutch for engagementiipon each counter-recoil-m'ovement of the breech bolt, means forproducing the engagement of the thus-prepared clutch, and means otherthan the engaging means for disengaging the clutch at the termination ofthe charging movement.

7. The combination with a gun having a, re-

ciprocatory breech-bolt movable in recoil and counter-recoil, of a motormounted on the gun, a. movable charging member acting upon the breech-bolt to produce its movement in the direction of recoil, means forconnecting the motor I,

ment in the direction of recoil, gearing connecting the motor to themember to cause itscharging movement, one of the elements of the gearingbeing Iyieldable with respect to another of said elements, said gearingincluding a clutch having elements constructed and arranged forengagement with each other to transmit the charging movement from themotor to the member, means for preparing the clutch for engagement ineach counter-recoil-movement of the breech-bolt, and means other thanthe preparing means fo producing engagement of the clutch.

9. The combination with a gun having a breech=bolt, of a motor rotatingcontinuously during: the period of operation of the gun, a membermovable upon the gun and acting upon the breech-bolt, gearing rotatableby the motor to move the member, and a clutch controlled by thebreech-bolt and through which the rotation of the gearing is transmittedto the member.

10. The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-bolt, of amotor rotating continuously during the period of operation of the gun, arack guided to reciprocate upon the gun and acting upon the breech-bolt,a gear rotatable by the motor and meshing with the rack, a clutchelement constructed and arranged fo engagement with the gear to transmitthe rotation of the motor to the gear, and a member movable upon therack and controlling the engagement of the clutch element.

ll. The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-bolt, of amotor rotating continuously during the period of operation of the gun, arack guided to reciprocate upon the gun,

a gear rotatable by the motor and meshing with the rack, meansconnecting the motor to the gear including a clutch through which therotation of the motor is transmitted to the gear, and a member movableupon the rackby contact of the breech-bolt with the member to controlthe clutch.

12. The combination with a gun having a, reclprocatory breech-bolt, of'amotor, a rack guided to reciprocate upon the gun, a gear rotatable bythe motor and meshin with the rack, means for transmitting the rotationof the'motor to -the gear including a clutch having elements constructedand arranged for engagement with each other to cause rotation ofthergear and for disengagement from each other to stop rotation of thegear, a, member movable upon the rack by contact of the breech-bolt tocontrol the clutch, and a member movable by the rack to disengagetheclutch.

13.- The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-boltprovided with a projection, of a motor rotating continuously during theperiod of operation of the gun, a rack guided to reciprocate upon thegun, a gear rotatable by the motor and meshing with the rack, means fortransmitting the rotation of the motor to the gear including a clutchhaving elements con structed and arranged for engagement with each otherto cause rotation of the gear, a lever fulcrumed upon the rack andhaving a cam-slot to receive the breech-bolt-projection and thereby movethe lever upon the rack by contact of the projection with the slot-wall,nd means movable by the lever to control the clutch.

14. The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-boltprovided with e, projection, of a motor mounted upon the gun, a rackguided to reciprocate upon the gun, agear rotatable by the motor andmeshin with the rack, means for transmitting the rotation of the motorto the gear including a clutch having elements constructed and arrangedfor engagement with each other to cause rotation of the gear, a leverfulcrumed upon the rack and having a. cam-slot to receive thebreech-bolt-projection and thereby move the lever upon the rack bycontact of the projection with the slot-wall, means movable by the leverto prepare the clutch for engagement, and slide movable upon the 'gun bythe rack to disengage the clutch.

15. The combination with a gun having a reciprocatory breech-bolt, of amotor rotating continuously during the operating period of the gun, arack guided to reciprocate upon the gun, a gear rotatable by the motorand meshing with the rack, means for transmitting the rotation 'of themotor to the gear including a clutch having elements constructed andarranged for engagement with each other to cause rotation of the gearand for disengagement from each other to stop rotation of the gear, alever fulcrume'd upon the gun, and means acting upon the leverto engageand disengage the clutch.

16. The combination with a gun havin a reciproc'atory breech-bolt, of amotor mounted upon the gun and rotating continuously during" theoperatin period of the gun, a rack guided to reciprocate upon the gun, agear rotatable by the motor andmeshing with the rack, means fortransmitting the rotation of the moto to the gear including a clutchhaving elements constructed and arranged for engagement with each otherto cause rotation of the gear and for disengagement from each other tostop rotation" of the gear, a lever fulcru'med upon the gun and having aplurality of arms, one of said arms being arranged to lock the clutchagainst engagement, means acting upon a second arm to engage the clutch,and means acting upon a third arm to disengagethe clutch. V g I, I v

WALTER E. NAUGLER.

